Day 4,527

Arlonia, fortress-city of the Emsir Kingdom, and the first line of defense against the dangerous lands beyond the frontier.

I have been here many times during my journey and hunts in the northern regions, and I am always in awe of its mighty walls and towering spires. A sacred ground for us Slayers, it was here where Varen, the first ever Slayer, slew the demon dragon, Lorantor. And it was here where he had built Varen’s Hall, greatest of our headquarters.

After stopping by an inn for a brief rest, I left Baleth in the public stables and made my way into Varen’s Hall where many of my order has already arrived. I saw a few friends along the way, companions whom I have not seen in a long time, and I greeted them with the same warmth as they did to me, with many embraces. But our happy reunion was short-lived.

Grandslayer Oldrin has made a summon.

We entered the Gathering Hall, and there were already so many fellow Slayers. Two hundred at least based on my quick estimation. All were gold-ranked.

The oldest Slayer, Oldrin himself, stood upon a raised stage, welcoming us. I asked my friends what they know of this urgent gathering, but even they were as clueless as I am.

And then Oldrin told us. By the end of it, a deep silence had befallen the room.

A horde of monsters from the Untamed Lands is on its way to Arlonia in a week.

Everything after that was a cacophony of chaotic shouts. A riot nearly broke out, but Oldrin is a charming old man. Only a word halted all conversations at once. Stop. And everyone listened while he laid out our plans, which I cannot say here until it is implemented.

After that, he told us to divide into scouting parties. Naturally, I would have picked my comrades. We already know each other, and we were all survivors of the Behemoth extermination.

Thus, it came as a surprise to me when a young Slayer was assigned to be my apprentice. Eina.

What an annoying brat she was. She kept pestering me about my adventures, my favorite monsters to hunt, even my favorite food. The girl is no less than twenty-one, a decade younger than me, but she acts like an annoying child. I also suspect she is part of the nobility.

It has taken nearly all of my patience to satisfy her curiosity, and I had to retire early for the night, writing my thoughts in this journal. I fear she will just be a liability to our mission tomorrow, so I need enough rest to deal with any mishap.

Hopefully, there will be none.